If you suffer from mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure at your work place, you should contact a Utah mesothelioma attorney and file a claim to get retribution for your suffering. Many people have lost a loved one due to mesothelioma, and if you have a loved one whom you have lost to this fatal condition you should contact a Utah mesothelioma lawyer and file a claim against the companies who exposed your loved one to asbestos at the work place.

Utah is home to both naturally occurring deposits of asbestos [1], as well as asbestos that is abundantly being used in various industrial and commercial operations. There are about 121 natural asbestos deposit sites in Utah, Arizona and Nevada alone [2].  Asbestos is an excellent insulation material and it was used very frequently in industries for heat and chemical insulation. It also gets easily distributed into the environment. It is for this reason that many of the workers and employees who spent long hours at their asbestos contaminated work sites had been exposed to the hazards posed by the toxic mineral and developed dangerous diseases like lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Some of the prominent industries in Utah making use of asbestos in some of their operations are oil refineries, copper refineries, steel mills, canning units, sugar manufacturers and various other industries that are causing asbestos exposure to their workers and employees. Usually mesothelioma takes decades to develop and it can remain dormant for years after the initial asbestos contamination.

Asbestos in Utah:

Utah is home to four facilities owned and operated by the infamous WR Grace and Company, which is one of the most prominent companies causing excessive asbestos contamination. There are 4 facilities in the state where vermiculite was once being processed, which also contributes to the chances of asbestos related disease development among the residents in the vicinity.

There are a number of major power generation plants as well as oil refineries operating across the state causing occupational exposure of the toxic mineral to the workers, their families and residents in the vicinity. Asbestos exposure in these industries is caused as a result of the use of the mineral in insulation of the machineries and equipment. When this asbestos wears off or is damaged and distributed, it releases minute fibers into the air which can easily be inhaled or ingested by a person. If you have worked at an asbestos contaminated job site in Utah, you should contact a Utah mesothelioma attorney and file a claim as soon as possible.

Asbestos contamination and spread:

Asbestos fibers are released into the atmosphere when intact asbestos is damaged, disturbed or disintegrated as a result of wear and tear of the machines, and even fabrics that contain asbestos. These fibers are extremely minute and light weight; they are also invisible to the naked eye. This means that once in the atmosphere, these fibers can easily be ingested or inhaled into the human respiratory system without knowledge. Once within the system, these fibers get deposited into the lungs and embed themselves into the lining. As a result of this, initial breathing in difficulty is experienced and eventually, these fibers affect and damage the fine membrane covering the lungs, abdomen, heart and various other vital internal organs. There are two common diseases that are caused as a result of asbestos exposure, when the fibers cause scarring of the respiratory organs, the condition is termed as asbestosis which is very common across America; when it starts causing the production of malignant cells that damage the abdominal and chest linings, the condition is known as mesothelioma, which is rare form of cancer, fatal to humans.

Mortalities from mesothelioma in the state of Utah:

In the state of Utah 155 people have died due to asbestos related conditions including mesothelioma since the year 1979 [3]. Mesothelioma is a fatal condition and often diagnosed in its latest stages as it remains dormant for decades. The following job sites have been contaminated by asbestos:

Salt Lake City: The Gadsby Power Plant, Hercules refinery, Hill Air force base, Holy Cross hospital,  Pacificorp, Philips 66 SLC, Primary Children Hospital, prudential tower, Remington arms, salt lake refinery, salt temple, standard oil refinery, united states post office, University of Utah and Tooele Army proving ground among others. In other cities across Utah: Hill air force base in Ogden, hunter power plant in price, Philips 66 oil refinery in Wood cross, South Jordan School district in South Jordan, Sunnyside School district in Sunny side, Steel Mill in Provo, Thiokol Missile site in Tremont and Utah canning plant as well as many more sites.